


Ad'ika

by PunnyMints



Series: When the War was Won [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, clone wars - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Babysitting, Happy times, One Shot, Right?, Uncle Rex, clones are good with kids, hint at riyo/fox, in which the clones never commit order 66 and anakin never turns to the dark side, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunnyMints/pseuds/PunnyMints
Summary: Questions are raised about some of Rex's original stances on family and life in the Republic. But now that the war is done, what's he supposed to do now?
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: When the War was Won [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876843
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Ad'ika

**Author's Note:**

> alright so i know luke and lei are a little old in this but shh we just gon ignore that owo

An outcry rose in the senate. Padme felt her lips tug back in a tight line, fingers squeezing the railing of her box. "Senators! It's a right to every living being-"

"The clone troopers are life forms, that’s vastly different." A box shuddered with the thunderous voice of opposition. Padme sighed to herself as Gume Saam pounded against the side of his box. "They were mass-produced! They were made with one purpose." His eyes on tall stalks examined everyone in the rotund senate, settling on Padme. "To serve and fight for us."

Padme fought the urge to glare back at her opposition, and could have sworn that, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the clone guard behind her grip his gun tighter. In the back of her head, Padme internally groaned. How quickly they had forgotten everything, they had forgotten the lives taken by the war.. "Have we forgotten the cost of the republic? How much we spent? It would be better to replace them over time with-"

"Replace them? With what? Droids?" Saam sneered and leaned into his microphone, the click of his beak annunciating every word. "And leave you and I and Chancellor Organa and every other important decision maker in the galaxy unguarded?" Saam glanced at Senator Halle, the Kaminoan representative, who only nodded. Padme resisted the urge to pull her own hair out. Of course Kamino was a large pusher for this, producing clones at this moment was their largest source of income. Private cloning must have not been cutting it out anymore.

"Not unguarded, Senator. We have already seen the numbers, and we could switch over time to droids and hired security, it would be lower cost and allow these fine troopers to be treated like the good veterans they are."

"But hired security would not be nearly as good as the genetically modified clones." Senator Halle finally spoke up, voice cutting through the debate. "We can heighten the perception and senses of the next generation of clones. And think about, if we can do that to the newest generation of clone troopers, what about the next? Or the one after that?"

Padme heard an overall mumble of agreement rise among the Senators. Ever since the plot from Chancellor Palpatine had been discovered, he had been promptly executed by Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu. Some of the Senate's own was discovered to be co-conspirators, and tensions were high. Skirmishes were breaking out on the streets and the Clone Troopers were the largest line of defense against separatist apologists. Padme's mouth went dry, and she glanced up at Chancellor Bail Organa's observation deck. He glanced back at her, face grim.

"Why are we waiting?" The Taris deck spoke up for the first time. "The clone troopers are the best security for us and they have maintained the peace rather well. In fact, the plot against the Republic was discovered by a clone trooper-"

"ARC Trooper Fives." Bail Organa spoke up, finally. He readjusted his coat. his voice was a firm reminder of where he stood on the matter that the clone troopers were men, not just life forms. Relief flooded Padme's chest. She had at least one ally here. (Two, if you counted a particularly purple-with-anger Senator Riyo Chuchi.)

There was a heartbeat of silence, and the Taris Senator, Kin Robb, spoke up again. Her voice was pliable, but her tone had said she had made up her mind. "Trooper Fives, then."

Padme looked again down at Riyo's deck as an argument broke out among the senators. The young pantorian was sitting stiffly, jaw clenched tightly, staring hard at her microphone. Emotions would get the young senator nowhere in the argument, and based on her face and clenched fist crumpling her maroon skirt, she had plenty. Today her hair was twisted up high with gold ornaments that draped down almost to her shoulders. They shook slightly. Padme could envision Commander Fox standing on her level, gripping his gun so hard it trembled. He wouldn’t be happy, this argument taking place in front of them. They were brothers. Living, breathing humans, made in a different way. Did that make them any less worthy of their rights? She turned her head quickly up again to survey the outbreak of worlds among the creatures of the senate. For a moment, Padme was baffled. How did they ever win the war with this group of people holding the fate of the galaxy in their hands? Perplexed, she couldn’t resist pinching the bridge of her nose between her pointer finger and thumb.

Bail raised a hand calmly. He stood with his hand up until the babble, the riff raff, the arguing, fizzled. "I suggest we take a vote at tomorrow morning's meeting. We have already run late. In the meantime, I suggest you do research on the numbers it would take to keep supplying every major base in the galaxy with clone troopers, supplies, armor, and weapons." He paused as he adjusted his coat again, before adding, “And maybe ask them about the potential of this. This is a democracy, after all, and their voice needs a say as well.”

____

Rex removed his officer’s cap and knocked lightly on the senator’s suite. He stood straight, at attention, just out of habit. He cleared his throat, sighing. The Skywalkers took a while to open the door. Rex glanced around the hall, eyes landing on the view of the Coruscant speeders, whirring by.

It hadn’t been a year since the war ended, and life on this planet was already so… normal. The Jedi order had shrunk significantly, many of them leaving because they felt as though their duty was done, or because they wanted to go and live a life, much like Skywalker. Anakin had abandoned his position as a Jedi, leaving his lightsaber with General Kenobi, in order to live with Senator Amidala. It should have been less of a surprise to Rex. There wasn’t much of a goodbye from Anakin (not that there needed to be, Anakin still saw Rex on patrol a lot) before he left the order. Apparently, when he wasn’t taking care of his wife and children, he was taking the occasional bounty mission. 

Rex turned quickly when the door opened. Senator Amidala rubbed her tired eyes for a second, but when recognition sunk in, she beamed brightly at him. “Commander, what are you doing here?”

“Oh. Uh, General Skywalker requested me.”

Padme’s lips pursed. “Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry!” She quickly stepped aside, swinging open the door more. “Please, come in. Take a seat.”

“Thank you.” Rex nodded politely, glancing back at the hall window one last time. He entered the suite, brows raising at the view in here. “Oh, this is a nice place.”

The senator moved to the living area, quickly scooping up knick-knacks and pillows. “I’m so sorry, two children plus Ani- and I didn’t know we were having a guest over!” Padme shook her head and threw the cushions onto the couch, moving towards a small bin with the toys. “I've been in meetings all day. If I had known, I would have had Threepio clean sooner.” She stood up and beamed at Rex politely. “Please, Commander, take a seat.” She moved to the large couch and sunk down, patting it, relieved to get off her feet.

Rex nodded, walking closer and sitting on the furthest end. “How’s the General?”

“Ani’s been well.” Padme smiled and smoothed out her dress. “He’s loving being a father.” She sighed and gave a gentle grin, more than likely thinking of Anakin. “And he likes running around the galaxy, causing trouble and bringing in bounties.” Padme tiredly ran a hand in her loose hair, stifling a yawn. Her eyes closed for a second, and Rex stared awkwardly. The Senator was tired, why was he called here? Anakin wouldn’t dare let his wife get too overrun with so many things happening. She paused, then turned more to him. “Commander?”

“Yes, Senator?”

“Who do you think of yourself as?” Padme tilted her head. “Are you Clone Commander Rex, or are you a veteran who fought in a war?”

Rex’s brow furrowed. “Pardon?” He set his cap on the arm of the couch. Suspicion bubbled in his gut. “Sorry, but… why are you asking?” He’d heard one of Fox’s boys, Chess, ranting in the mess hall about a new Senate bill in the making. How clones weren’t human, how they were talked about as if they weren’t there, sneered at, seen as expendable in the uprising of Sepratist apologists and sypathists.

Padme fidgeted some. “Well, I’m trying to keep a bill from going through the Senate. As long as you and your brothers work for the republic, you have jobs and a home guaranteed. However,” She glanced back at Rex, who raised his brows, and Padme continued speaking cautiously. “If you were to leave the army or retire-”

“Retire?!”

“As an example. If you or another officer wanted to retire, because the war is over, would you like to?”

The commander hesitated. “Well, that’s a little far off, isn’t it?” Rex’s voice gave way to his grimace, imagining himself as an old man. “Very far off.”

Padme nodded eagerly, her hands gesturing at him. "Right, but imagine. You wouldn't want to be eighty and still patrolling or going on recon missions when required." When Rex tilted his head in motion of consideration, Padme brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Wouldn't you want to settle down and have a family of your own someday?"

Rex's brow furrowed somewhat in thought. That sounded… familiar. 

Footsteps sounded from down the hall. Rex glanced over the back of the couch and saw two children run in, giggling. When they saw Padme, they raced towards her and quickly crawled up into her lap. The smaller one, the blond boy, pressed his cheek to Padme and looked at Rex, his subtle smile fading. His little hands curled up in her dress and he turned his face into the fabric of it. His mother gently stroked his head and smiled. The girl stared at Rex, eyes intense and filled with curiosity. Rex gave a half smile, seeing Anakin's eyes in her. Without breaking eye contact, the girl said, "Mama, who's he?"

"That's Commander Rex."

The boy shrunk a little more into his mother, his face turned out and he cautiously examined the clone, eyes moving slowly over his face and his uniform. Padme moved her hand gently on his back, still talking softly. She raised her voice and looked back at Rex. "Commander, this is Luke and-"

"I'm Leia." The girl stood up on the couch and walked over to him, wrinkling her button nose in thought. She surveyed him, thoughtfully, in a manner that reminded the commander of Anakin. "Aren't you a little short to be a clone trooper?"

Padme mouthed an apology at Rex before looking down at Luke. The boy spoke in such a hushed tone that Rex almost couldn’t hear him. "Where's dad?"

Leia sat down, picking up Rex's hat, and examined it. Leia answered boldly for her mom as she patted the fabric with her fingers. "Dad's on the comm with 'Soka." She held the cap up. Leia looked under it and then looked at Rex. "I like your hat."

"Uh, thanks."

"Can I keep it?"

"Leia!" Padme scolded softly. "You don't ask for people's things."

Rex absolutely couldn't help it. Despite his typically stern stature, he let out a laugh, hand planting on his chest. "It's part of my uniform, so no.” Leia started to sink in disappointment, so Rex decided that- alright- just this once, maybe he would break uniform code. “But you can try it on." Rex took it and plunked it on her head, chuckling as she jumped off the couch and sprinted to the giant window, looking at her reflection in the darkened skyline of the city. She turned around to the trio watching from the couch. 

With a large grin, Leia said, "How's it look?"

Padme chuckled as Luke looked up at his mom and stifled a giggle. Rex grinned. The hat was comically large on her head, dangling off the sides of her head, the brow of the cap coming all the way down to her eyeline. "Looks great." Rex stood and walked over to her, squatting down. Leia pushed the cap further back to grin at him. She was certainly Anakin's daughter. “You’re wearing it wrong, though.”

“It’s a hat. How do you wear a hat wrong? It goes on your head.”

“Your hair’s down, that’s not in regulation.”

The little girl gave an overly dramatic sigh, looking reluctantly at her mom, as if this was the absolute worst thing in the world. Thinking heavily, Leia ran a hand through her hair. Finally, she took the army cap off, and handed him a hairpin.

“... What am I supposed to do with this?” Rex blinked slowly, staring at it.

Leia bounced on the balls of her feet and turned her back to him. “Fix it!” She jabbed a finger at her hair, still bobbing.

Rex looked helplessly at Padme, who was giggling. She raised a brow in amusement, gesturing at Leia with a delicate hand. “Well, go on.” She propped Luke up so he could watch. “Some of your brothers have long hair, right? Surely, you’ve seen some of them put their hair up.”

Rex glanced back at Leia’s swaying locks. He grabbed a handful of half her hair, grimacing slightly. He didn’t want to pull too hard. His hands looked huge next to the small, energetic child. Slowly, Rex twisted the hair and pinned it to one side of her head. Leia held another pin back at him, humming happily. Rex sighed and repeated the style on the other half of her hair, taking the pin out from between his teeth to secure it. “There, that’s the closest to something a little more appropriate of a senator.”

Leia examined the style closely in the reflection of the window again, turning her head from one side to the other. “I like it,” Leia decided. “But one side is uneven.”

“Welp, that’s what you’re getting.” Rex chuckled and plunked the hat back on her head as Leia laughed, pushing back the cap and beaming up at Rex. Her nose scrunched up again, and her small but bold voice came out in giggles. This made the Commander smile more. A family-

Suddenly, it hit Rex. Where he’d heard Padme’s words. 

_ “I’ve seen the way you look at my family, our home.” Cut chuckled and eased back into his seat, observing Rex. The captain looked softly over the four of them, Suu, the two kids, and Cut. Satisfied at this silent confirmation, Cut sat forward and picked up his fork. “Come on, Rex, admit it. You’ve thought about what your life could look like if you could leave the army, choose the life you want.” _

“Rex?” A new voice joined in from the edge of the room. Not Cut’s, though. Rex blinked back into reality, looking up from Leia and at his former general. It took the clone a moment to process that Anakin was here, not in his Jedi robes. “Rex!” Anakin strode forward, grinning broadly, and clasped Rex in a hug. “Wow, Commander looks good on you.” Anakin stepped back, looking at Rex’s blue and white commander uniform. 

The hug was… not exactly like Anakin. But Rex would take it. “Really?” He glanced down at his uniform. Normally, Rex still wore his armor, but when asked to visit the home of a higher-up government official, it was customary to attempt to look the best you could. “Thanks. And casual looks good on you, General.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m liking it.” Anakin picked up Leia, who had been tugging on his brown pants leg. “Whoa! Leia, whatcha got there?”

“Rex’s hat!” Leia lifted the white cap and pointed at her hair buns. “Look at what he did!”

Anakin grinned and set Leia back on the floor, taking the hat from her. “Looks good, Rex. Didn’t know you did hair.”

“I really don't. The boys did it to Tup one night as a prank.” Rex chuckled, eyes flickering away from Anakin and Leia as he thought back on Tup. His friend, his comrade. The prelude to Fives, killing a Jedi for seemingly no reason in cold blood. Rex turned to the window, watching the speeders flash by for a second. Reds and yellows from their lights left an illusion of blurs across the darkened sky. “Tup… he wore it all day, just for laughs.” Tup had always had a good sense of humor, even if he wasn’t the joker of the squad.

Anakin and Padme exchanged glances. Padme cleared her throat and stood. “Rex, I-”

“We were wondering if you would join us for dinner.” Anakin cut off his wife, shooting her a quick glance. “We’re having braised shaak.” His voice lilted up, singsong, and he raised a brow at the offer.

Rex shook his head politely. “Not tonight. I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on. Krif- uh, awful paperwork.” Was ‘kriff’ a safe word to use around kids? The younger clones on kamino said it all the time. But based on Padme’s tensing up somewhat and a threatening glimmer in her eye when he started to say it, it probably wasn’t good to use around the kids of such a higher up. “All these skirmishes going on. Did people really go for Palpatine’s idea that much?”

Anakin crossed his arms with a grimace and nodded. “I guess so. You’d think not, especially after everything was revealed.” Unconsciously, Anakin drew his daughter a little closer to him. He shuddered, pausing to look down at Leia and bringing a smile back to his face. “But everything turned out okay.”

Sighing, Padme walked closer to her husband, moving her grey skirt aside so she could hold Luke’s hand and let him walk next to her. “You sure about dinner, Commander?” 

“Very. But maybe another night.” Rex spun his cap in his hands, thinking. “Just let me know.”

“Count on it, Rex.” Anakin set Leia down. “Say good night to Commander Rex, guys.” He nudged Leia forward. Her goodbye was ultimately dramatic, starting off with a depressed wail, leading into her sobbing goodbyes as she clutched his leg, and ending with Anakin coaxing the young girl off him. Luke momentarily turned his face away from his mother’s skirt and waved before hiding back by Padme. Padme shot Rex a smile and bade him good night, picking up a despondent Leia, and walking with the kids down the hall.

Crossing his arms, Anakin turned to Rex. “I just got back from Stygeon Prime.”

“Oh. How was it?”

“Cold.” Anakin looked behind him to ensure Padme had left with the kids, then motioned Rex to follow him to the holotable in the living room. He typed in a code and stepped back, motioning to the projection. “Found this.”

Rex leaned in close to examine it, squinting. The mountains curved upwards, like exposed ribs, and nestled in the tallest rib was a building. The building rose above the peaks of surrounding mountains, intimidating. Remote, alone, on the Outer Rim. “... a prison?” Rex guessed, examining it. “You didn’t get closer?”

“No. Too heavily patrolled.” Anakin turned off the holotable. “But there’s something big in there, Rex. I can’t go alone.”

A familiar weight sunk down on Rex. “You want me to go with you?”

“You’re the best commander I know. Maybe pitch it to a couple of boys, we can go do recon there.”

Rex hesitated before shaking his head. “Stygeon Prime is a Separatist planet. Whatever it is could have been abandoned, as soon as the news came out that the war ended.” 

“Did you just hear me? Rex, they’re still guarding that thing.” Anakin crossed his arms and leaned back against the holotable. “Whatever was- and still is- there, it’s obviously worth keeping under lock and key.”

A heartbeat passed. Rex kept his eye contact direct with Anakin, not straying in his gaze. The thought turned over in his head, calculating possible losses, damages, consequences for him and his brothers if they went without approval from a general or higher. Anakin wouldn’t get in trouble. He would be more than free to go on as many recon missions as he wanted to. 

Finally, Rex glanced away. “I’ll ask my uppers.”

Schock stifled Anakin’s face, his jaw slacking some. “Uppers?”

“Yeah. Skywalker, you aren’t my general anymore. And my brothers and I…” Rex swallowed, gathering the courage to look at Anakin. “We aren’t as welcome as you.”

“Oh, come on.”

Rex held up a hand. “Did you hear about the senate today?”

“I- no. Why?” Anakin cocked his head to the side, standing up straighter. 

“We’re expendable to them. I’ve already lost enough brothers in one man’s war, and I won’t bring them into another one without knowing if it’s worth it.” Rex’s stare was challenging. Not harsh, but they held that familiar gaze that Anakin used to know. Rex wouldn’t back down so easily.

Slowly, Anakin nodded. “Alright. Tell me what they say.” The former general gestured Rex towards the door. He opened the door for Rex, quiet. “And Rex?” When the commander turned, Anakin spoke again, gentler this time, the burn in his voice gone. “Padme and I were serious about dinner.”

  
After a second, Rex nodded, shooting Anakin a smile. “Thanks. Anything’ll be better than the mess.” Anakin nodded subtly, shutting the door quietly. Going back in to his family. His life. A twinge of something tugged at Rex’s lungs, making it hard to breathe. Family. And children,  _ ad’ika _ , the native Mando'a word swimming in his brain. Padme, Cut… maybe they had an idea in what they were saying. He pulled on his cap again, walking down the hall, towards the stairs, and began the long trek home.


End file.
